WHO has converted to CFLs??

[Emerald]

Wally world carries the LEDs and they are quite cheap compared to the other name brand ones. Any thing between $5 to $8 for their brand compared to the GE Brands $20 to $25!
But if you have a spot where you are turning them on and off all the time my bulb burnt out in under 6 months. But our pull switch here is one of those three pull switches that my folks put in, I am assuming that it was on sale or they just didn't realize that the switch was for ceiling fans. So once I change out that pull switch I am thinking that it might have contributed to the blow out.
But the ones for my ceiling fans are only about $5 each so we are thinking about buying one per week along with the groceries and just start changing them all out. They come in warm "orangey" tones or cool white/blue tones. They have bigger ones also that are around $12 to $15 for security lights I think and all the LEDs are on a flat plain facing one way.
But like everything ya get what you pay for- I bought cheaper and the light is not as bright as some of the more expensive LEDs.
P/S the boy and I are good on only using the lights when in the room and turning stuff off, then the hub's will come home and both boy and I have to follow him around and shut off every light! At times it is like having a potty trained monkey in the house! I love him but there are times I just wanna give him a !!

 

[AnnaRaven]

We recently replaced our recessed lights with LEDs. Better light AND they're dimmable! Yay.

 

[Wannabefree]

Now that my CFL's are burning out I will look into LED's to replace them as they blow. They have lasted about 5 years though, which is a pleasant suprise.

 

[Dunkopf]

I figured out that they don't work in the cold worth a darn. They say they should not be used in places where you only use them for a few minutes. So far they work well in the bedrooms, the living room and the laundry room. All places that tend to stay on a long time. I have had them for about 5 years and no replacements yet. With 5 kids and all the different energy factors, there's no way to figure the savings. However if you have a bulb that draws 12 watts and puts out the same as a 60 watt bulb, I figure there's some savings in there somewhere.

Does anyone know how well the LED's work in the cold or if they are designed for short on off type use?

As for dirty electricity. I have read on here somewhere about a whole house surge protector that regulates the flow of electricity to your house so there are no spikes or lows. Anyone have info on those?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I figured out that they don't work in the cold worth a darn. They say they should not be used in places where you only use them for a few minutes. So far they work well in the bedrooms, the living room and the laundry room. All places that tend to stay on a long time. I have had them for about 5 years and no replacements yet. With 5 kids and all the different energy factors, there's no way to figure the savings. However if you have a bulb that draws 12 watts and puts out the same as a 60 watt bulb, I figure there's some savings in there somewhere.

Does anyone know how well the LED's work in the cold or if they are designed for short on off type use?

As for dirty electricity. I have read on here somewhere about a whole house surge protector that regulates the flow of electricity to your house so there are no spikes or lows. Anyone have info on those?

We have the whole house protector.
Best thing ever. Costs about $600 and you have to have an electrition to install it.
It cut out 10% of the electricity right off that bat.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/blogs...c-Bill-Surge-Protect-Your-Entire-Home-/129420

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrdYW3rtwEg
Also, we no longer have ANY brownouts!

 

[Dunkopf]

I figured out that they don't work in the cold worth a darn. They say they should not be used in places where you only use them for a few minutes. So far they work well in the bedrooms, the living room and the laundry room. All places that tend to stay on a long time. I have had them for about 5 years and no replacements yet. With 5 kids and all the different energy factors, there's no way to figure the savings. However if you have a bulb that draws 12 watts and puts out the same as a 60 watt bulb, I figure there's some savings in there somewhere.

Does anyone know how well the LED's work in the cold or if they are designed for short on off type use?

As for dirty electricity. I have read on here somewhere about a whole house surge protector that regulates the flow of electricity to your house so there are no spikes or lows. Anyone have info on those?

We have the whole house protector.
Best thing ever. Costs about $600 and you have to have an electrition to install it.
It cut out 10% of the electricity right off that bat.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/blogs...c-Bill-Surge-Protect-Your-Entire-Home-/129420

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrdYW3rtwEg
Also, we no longer have ANY brownouts!

It's supposed to protect all your electronic stuff too isn't it? Will it protect against a nearby lightning strike? Sounds like a really good idea.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I figured out that they don't work in the cold worth a darn. They say they should not be used in places where you only use them for a few minutes. So far they work well in the bedrooms, the living room and the laundry room. All places that tend to stay on a long time. I have had them for about 5 years and no replacements yet. With 5 kids and all the different energy factors, there's no way to figure the savings. However if you have a bulb that draws 12 watts and puts out the same as a 60 watt bulb, I figure there's some savings in there somewhere.

Does anyone know how well the LED's work in the cold or if they are designed for short on off type use?

As for dirty electricity. I have read on here somewhere about a whole house surge protector that regulates the flow of electricity to your house so there are no spikes or lows. Anyone have info on those?

We have the whole house protector.
Best thing ever. Costs about $600 and you have to have an electrition to install it.
It cut out 10% of the electricity right off that bat.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/blogs...c-Bill-Surge-Protect-Your-Entire-Home-/129420

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrdYW3rtwEg
Also, we no longer have ANY brownouts!

It's supposed to protect all your electronic stuff too isn't it? Will it protect against a nearby lightning strike? Sounds like a really good idea.

Yes it fully protects electronics. Ad it comes with a warrenty if it fails that will cover I think, up to $25,000 of stuff.

 

[CJW]

Question.

I am thinking about using solar panels and a wind turbine to help with electricity. My goal is to have a stack of batteries that will be on a trickle charge from the home-made electricity, and then feed the rest of the electricity back to the grid-especially when we are not at the house, using electricity and such.

I would like to use the batteries as a back up, in case of a power outage, etc, and also be able to charge them directly as well from the panel/mil, without providing power to the grid. Will the surge protector prevent this and/or protect the batteries and other electronic components used to convert it?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Question.

I am thinking about using solar panels and a wind turbine to help with electricity. My goal is to have a stack of batteries that will be on a trickle charge from the home-made electricity, and then feed the rest of the electricity back to the grid-especially when we are not at the house, using electricity and such.

I would like to use the batteries as a back up, in case of a power outage, etc, and also be able to charge them directly as well from the panel/mil, without providing power to the grid. Will the surge protector prevent this and/or protect the batteries and other electronic components used to convert it?

You would have to contact the manufacturer to find out.

the protector is set up between the fuse panel and the main outside supply, if that helps any

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I haven not yet converted because everytime I go to someone's house that use them I get a headache from the type of light they put off. I haven't had time to do any research to see if there are long term health concerns using this light or not. Has anybody done any research on health concerns?

Its that they flicker that causes headaches. I can't stand them either. We do use them, the hubby has them everywhere he lives, like the TV room, but I can't have them in my rooms or I have a crushing headache in minutes. And yes I have tried every colour and the so called 'natural light' ones. Read up about them and you will see they have a frequency they flicker at. It does not bother all people but for those that get migraines from them need to stay away.

I don't think they are saving us any money at all here since they have to be on all the time anywhere you need light outside, and if you need light fast. Ian insisted on changing the ones in the bedroom and after turning on the switch at the door I can walk all the way to my side of the bed before the room is lit. This is an extreme case due to the fixture being decorative and having 4 lights in series I'm told, but really, they are so ugly I can't stand looking at them anyway so soon I'm going to get real bulbs for that fixture again. Also room like the pantry that have the light on, off, on off, they only last a couple months so I don't use them there either, too expensive to chew up like that.

And for those of you with kids or hubbys that only turn lights on your just turning them off wrong! I only turn them off at the switch and chew them out once, after that I turn them off at the bulb, as in take the bulb out and put it back in the box in the laundry room. If they have to reinstall the bulb each time they get 'lazy' and learn to turn the light off.